1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device adapted for temporary insertion within the nose for establishing and/or maintaining an airway through the nasal passages and delivering medicament thereinto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various forms of nasal airway devices are known in the art. Examples of such devices are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 851,048; 513,458, 4,414,977; 4,201,207; 2,515,756; 1,255,578; 1,481,581; 1,597,331; 1,672,591; 1,709,740; 1,135,675; 1,014,076; 1,014,758; 1,077,574 and British Patent GB0768488; British Patent 4,148; Italian Patent IT0490828 and French Patent 7807130. While most of these devices provide a means for dilating the nostrils and maintaining an airway permitting improved air flow therethrough, each has limitations producing less than optimum air flow or discomfort which prevents the device from being used for a prolonged period of time. Many devices are unsatisfactory due to non-unitary construction which can result in situ disintegration of the device and possible aspiration of a fragment of the device. The above devices do not have or teach the structural and functional features of the present invention described below which, in combination, enable the device to perform the intended function in a manner which is superior to the prior art devices.
Transdermal drug delivery devices and medically implantable devices which include an outer tissue contacting layer adapted to dispense drugs are known in the art. Examples of medicament dispensing coatings suitable for medical devices are described in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,217,493; 5,567,495; 4,846,844; 4,952,419; 4,749,585; 4,879,135; 4,895,566; 4,915,694; 4,917,686 and 5,013,306. None of the foregoing patents teach a device wherein the tissue-contacting medicament dispensing portion of the device is adapted to intimately contact the inner surface of the nasal passage.